Braiding machine



Dec. 7 1926. 1,610,054

A. HOPKINSON BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11. 1925 7 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 7 1926. 1,610,054

' A. HOPKINSON BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.1

INVENTOR. dllua flop/aw v umuwm A. HOPKINSONv BRAIDING MACHINE Dec. 7 1926. 1,610,054

Filed Dec. 11. 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 04 ff Dec. 7 1926. 1,610.054

A. HOPKINSON BRAIDI NG MACHI NE Filed Dec. 11, 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Dec. 7 1926. I 1,610,054

A. HOPKINSON BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11. 1923 Sheets-Sheet 5 fl 7m INVENTOR.

Dec. 7, 192, 6. 1,610.054

' A. HOPKINSON BRAIDI NG MACHINE Filed Dec. 11. 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 I Dec. 7 1926. v

' A. HOPKINSON BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11. 1925 v sheets-sheet 7 Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

UNET'E STATS ALFRED HOPKINSON,

BRAIDING Application filed December 11, 1923. Serial No.

This invention relates to braiding m'achines in which two rows of tiers of bobbins revolve in opposite directions around a common centre, the lower or outer row being mounted on rotary brackets and the upper or inner row being mounted on separate rotary carriers revolving on a grooved race which has gaps at intervals for the passage of the threads from the lower outer bobbins, the threads being guided alternately under and over the bobbins of the upper or inner row by shaped guides and being braided .at a common central point or eye.

The invention is designed to provide an effective driving mechanism for the upper or inner set of bobbins without the intervention of driving pins or fingers projected intermittently into the bobbin carriers.

According to the invention the carriers for the upper or inner row of bobbins are driven or propelled forward upon the race upon which they are mounted, each by the engagement of one or more rollers mounted on a rotary arm or bracket with a roller or rollers-on the bobbin carriers and the rollers 01": said rotary arms are caused to rotate on their axes by engagement with rollers which bear against a flange carried by the rotating support upon which the upper or inner bobbin carriers move.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

Figs. 1 and 1 read together, show, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, a braiding machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a 'plan view, part being shown in section and part being shown as broken away. V

Fig. 2 is a continuation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the driving mechanism or" upper inner bobbin carrier.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of same, partly in section.

Fig. 5 is-a front elevation of one of the upper or inner bobbins and pa ts associated therewith in working position. i

F ig. 6 is a front elevation similar to Fig.5 I showing position of the stop rod when a thread is broken.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of one of the lower or outer bobbins in workingposition.

Fig. 8 is a plan of same.

PATENT FFEQE or e gs, ENG-LAND.

MACHINE.

6801033, and in Great Britain January 1, i923.

The braiding machine comprises a stationary central vertical pillar A (Fig. 1) upon which the sleeve 2) of the annular rotary bobbin carrier support B is mounted and driven from the driving shatt C by the bevel gearing 0 c The annular rotary bobbin carrier support has an annular flange D extending outwardly and upwardly from. its periphery which flange has a circular groove d within which the carriers E of the upper or inner row of bobbins F move and is provided with gaps cl (Figs. 3 and 8) at intervals around its periphery to allow of the passage of the threads 92 from the lower or outer row of bobbins G. To the underside of the rotary bobbin carrier support B a number of carrier brackets H are securely bolted or otherwise attached, each or which carries one of the lower or outer bobbins: G. A bracket H is mounted adjacent to each of the gaps d of the flange D.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the carriers E of the upper or inner rowoi bobbins F have curved sides and pointed ends nearly abutting against one another with a short space e between the end of one carrier and the adjacent end of the next carrier, through which spacesv the threads 0 from the lower or outer bobbins G travel to pass under the upper inner bobbins F through the gaps d in the flange D of the annular rotary bobbin carrier support B Each of the carriers E of the upper or inner row of bobbins F is formed with a stem or lug e to litinto and slide in the annular groove (Z of the flange D and on its upper side adjacent each of its ends carries a roller K. These rollers K are engaged by rollers .15 carried on a rotary member L.

The rotary member L is carried by a sleeve mounted on the central pillar A c which sleeve is driven by the bevel gear 0 to rotate in the opposite direction to the bobbin carrier support B. The rotary member L carries the rol ers K, which abut against the rollers K on the upper or inner bobbin carriers E. A roller K extends between the roller K at the leading or forward end of each carrier E and the rear roller K of the bobbin carrier E next ahead oi'it and into contact with said rollers, thus making a continuous abutment of rollers K K around the bobbin carrier support B to maintain the bobbins F and their carriers E at a constantly equal distance apart. To give a continuous rotary movement to the rollers K and K and thus facilitate the passage of the thread u between them, auxiliary rollers 70, one for each roller K, contact with the rollers K and also with a flange 6Z2 on the bobbin carrier support B, thus giving a rotary motion to the rollers K as they travel forward.

The flange (Z may be covered with rubber, leather or other material. The rollers K, K, may be made of metal, rubber, fibre or leather.

l-i spring-controlled rocking guide eye M,

l "ough which the thread 02 passes from the? lower or outer bobbins G, is carried by each of the carrier brackets H of the lower or outer bobbins G. A reciprocating movement is imparted to each of these guide eyes M, as it and its associated bobbin G move with the bobbin carrier support B, by a sliding rod m which has one of its ends con-- neeted to such guide eye M and its other end bearing against a stationary cam N car-- ried by the frame of the machine. As the bobbin carrier support B rotates, the rods m. are moved outwardly by the cam N to raise said guide eyes M at those points where it is necessary for the thread w to pass by one of the bobbins F and are moved inwards by the spring a when it is desired that the thread it should pass through the gap or saace between a pair of the bobbin carriers and rollers K and under the bobbin F. The thread 00, as it passes under the bobbin F, is carried forward by the rolling action of the rollers K K with which it comes in contact and passes between.

The bobbins F and G are held against rotation about their own axes in the ordinary way by pawls O mounted on the carriers E and H and entering notches"; g in the lower flanges of the bobbins until the tension or pull upon the thread is sufficient to withdraw the detents out of said notches against the action of the springs 0 which also put the desired tension on the thread.

A stop rod P is connected to the detent O of each bobbin G, which rod P falls when a thread breaks and engages a retaining catch R of the driving mechanism, thus lib erating the rod R of the strap fork R to move the driving strap onto the loose pulley S and also to apply a brake s to the side of the fast pulley S to stop the machine.

The stop rods P of the bobbins F when a thread breaks engage drop latches P which engage the retaining catch B.

This construction does away with pegs or fingers to actuate the upper bobbin carriers E as well as with cams to operate same as the rollers K K constitute a positive drive.

This affords simplicity in construction and does away with the necessity for accurate timing of the various fingers and earns common to many machines of this character.

The thread m, as it comes off each lower bobbin G, is held by its guide eye M below the centre of the upper bobbins F and is drawn in and out by its guide eye M as re quired to pass to either side of the curved sides of the carriers E in order to pass under or cover the bobbins F. The cam N can be readily and quickly changed for other cams suitable to produce different patterns of braided material.

,Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A braiding machine of the character described, comprising a rotary bobbin carrier support, a plurality of bobbin carriers movable in a circular path on said support, each of said bobbin carriers having arcuate side edges and provided with pointed forward and rear ends andeach having its forward end closely adjacent to the rear end of the carrier immediately in advance of it, rollers mounted on said carriers, one adjacent each end of each carrier, a bobbin mounted on each of said carriers, a rotary driving member rotating on an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said support and in the opposite direction to the latter, driving rollers carried by said driving member, each engaging the roller at the rear end of one of said carriers and the roller at the forward end of the next succeeding carrier, a second series of bobbins carried by said support, a guide eye associated with each of said second series of bobbins and movable into positions to direct the threads from said second series of bobbins over and under the forward pointed ends of said bobbin carriers and means for actuating said guide eyes during the rotation of said support.

2. A braiding machine, comprising a r0- tary bobbin carrier support; a plurality of bobbin carriers movable in a substantially circular path on said support, each of said bobbin carriers having arcuate edges and pointed forward and rear ends and having its forward end closely adjacent to the rear end of the carrier immediately in advance of it, and each of said carriers having a roll.- er mounted thereon adjacent each of its ends; bobbins mounted on said carriers; :1 driving member rotating coaXially with said support but in the opposite direction to the latter and having a plurality of arms extending radially therefrom; a driving rollor mounted on each of said arms and extend ing between the roller at the rear end of one of said carriers and the roller at the forward end of the next succeeding carrier; a second series of bobbins carried by said support; and means associated with each of said second series of bobbins and operative during the rotation of said support and driving member to guide the threads from said second series of bobbins over and under the forward ends of said carriers.

3. A braiding machine according to claim 1 embodying a fixed circular track and a plurality of secondary driving rollers one for each of the driving rollers, said secondary rollers being in yieldable engagement with said track and said driving rollers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED HOPKINSON. 

